DUSHANBE, February 26, 2016, Asia-Plus – A group of youth yesterday gathered in front of the OSCE office in Khujand, the capital of the northern Sughd province, demanding extradition of “traitors of the Homeland.”
They posted pictures of the action on the social networks and judging by the posters they held they are members of Sozandagoni Vatan (Homeland Builders), which is the youth wing of the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDP).
They demanded extradition of supporters of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) and Group 24, which are banned in the country.
We will recall that similar gatherings took place in Dushanbe in front of the European Delegation to Tajikistan on February 20 and in front of the Turkish Embassy on February 22.
Such demonstrations were also organized in front of the U.S. and German embassies on November 19 last year.
In October, a petition was started up at the Tajik National University demanding the extradition of critics of the government currently based abroad. Backers of the petition, which called for countries hosting IRP leader Muhiddin Kabiri, the head of the Vatandor opposition movement, Dodojon Atovulloyev, and former Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov to be handed over, say they have got signatures of support from 400 students across multiple universities.
According to organizers of the initiative, the appeals were submitted to legislators in the United States, Germany, and the European Union.
